Oscillating knife motor



March 21, 1944. H. H. WHEELER OSCILLATING KNIFE MOTOR 4 Sheds-Sheet 1Filed Aug. 9, 1941 INVENTOR HENRY H.WHEELR ATTORNEY March 21, 1944.

H. H. WHEELER OSCILLATING KNIFE MOTOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 9,1941 INVENTOR HENRY H.WHEELER March 21, 1944. H. H. WHEELER OSCILLATINGKNIFE MOTOR Filed Aug. 9, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG.

INVENTOIR HENRY H. WHEELER ATTORNE Patented Mar. 21 1944 UNITED STATES PA'l ENT OFFICE,

OSCILLATING KNIFE Moron Henry H. Wheeler, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor toInternational Cigar Machinery Company, a corporation of New JerseyApplication August 9, 1941, Serial No. 406,104

9 Claims. (Cl. 131 -42) This invention relates to cigar machines, moreparticularly to the charge separating mechanism thereof. In prior typesof charge separating mechanism such as shown in my co-p'endingapplication, Serial No. 304,299, filed November 14, 1939, on whichPatent No. 2,311,011 was issued February 16, 1943, there were requirednumerous mechanical connections for Vibrating the knife on its pivot ona platform or slide which advanced the knife into the column of tobaccofor separating a charge therefrom.

One of the objects of the present construction is to dispense with allthese connections and to provide instead an electric motor, which iscarried on the slide, for vibrating the knife. In the particularembodiment of the invention exemplified herein the motor may consist ofelectromagnets connected to the knife and energized by direct currentand opposed by electrom'agnets on the slide which are connected to analternating current. Thus the knife is oscillated rapidly with eachreversal of the alternating current, due to the attraction and repulsionof the electromagnets on the knife by the electromagnets on the slide.Moreover th present construction is capable of being operated at higherspeeds and eliminates the losses in the amplitude of the stroke due tothe back lash and yielding of the mechanical connections employedheretofore.

-A further object of the invention is to provide the bearing of thepivotal'mounting ofthe knife with a connecting element between the pivotand the hearing which will be stressed during the movement of the knifein one direction in order to assist its return movement in the oppositedirection. For this purpose in the particular embodiments of theinvention illustrating this feature the pivotal mounting of the knifemay be connected to a rubber bushing fastened to the bearing, or mayconsist of a steel rod having its ends fastened in the knife and bearingrespectively.

Still another object is to terminate the oscillation of the knife whenthe separation of the charge is completed so that the knife will bestationary while it is being retracted from the column. For this purposea Micro switch may be connected in the circuits to the electromagnetswhich will be tripped and thus break the circuits through theelectromagnets when the knife has severed the charge. In the chargeseparating mechanism shown in my above mentioned Patent No. 2,311,011,the surplus tobacco remaining after separation of the charge from thecolumn, is supported by fingers which enter slots in thecompressorplatform and underlie and thereby support the surplus tobacco during thedescent of the platform following compression of the column durin tseparation of the charge, These fingers are then lowered to deposit thesurplus tobacco upon the stream of tobacco advanced upon the Platformwhile the latter is at its lowermost position, and then withdrawn andelevated and-re-inserted in the slots ,of the platform to again supportthe surplus tobacco during. the descent of the platform. Another objectof the present invention is to simplify the construction of thesefingers, and to this end they are secured to the slide on which theknife is pivotally mounted to be moved horizontally only in and out ofsaid slots.

Still another object is to maintain the supporting fingers stationary intheir position underlying the surplus tobacco on the compressor platformwhile the slide is slightly retracted with the knife to provideclearance for the bunch length cutter which is raised to permit feedingof the stream of tobacco on to the platform, and would strike the knifeif the. latter were not retracted. For this purpose th fingers may beurged forwardly on the slide by tension springs connected between thefingers and the slide, so that a stationary abutment disposed in thepath of the fingers will interrupt their forward movement, when theirforward ends arrive under the transverse edge of the tobacco at theinner end of the platform, whilethe knife continues advancing to thelimit of its forward movement. Thus, while the knife is retractedslightly to provide clearance for the bunch length cutter, thesupporting fingers will remain in their forward position until thefingers are disengaged from the abutment during the subsequent return ofthe slide with the knife to its initial position.

Still another object is to provide mechanism for disposing of tobaccodust which is formed during the separation of the charge and may beexpelled by the oscillation of th knife at one side of the column. Forthis purpose the slide carrying the knife maybe equipped with a pusherarranged to push the dustoff acollecting channel arranged to catch theparticlesv expelledby the oscillationof :the knife, into suitablesuction ducts.

With theseia'nd other DbjGClJSIIlOt' specifically mentioned in view theinvention consists in certainconstructions and. combinations hereinafterfully described .andspeciflcally set .forthin the claims hereuntoappended.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification andin which like characters of reference indicate the same or like parts:

Fi 1 is a front elevation, with the front wall omitted, showing thegeneral arrangement of the improved mechanism for oscillating the knifeand controlling the movement of the supporting fingers;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on line 3-3 in Fig. 4, showing theoscillating knife severing a charge from the compacted tobacco column;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of Fig. 3;

Fig, 5 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of Fig. 3 showing onetype of bearing construction of the pivotal mounting of the knife;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing an alternative construction of thepivotal mounting;

Fig. '7 is a plan view showing a preferred construction of the slide onwhich the oscillating knife is mounted;

Fig. 8 is an end elevation of the slide shown in Fig. '7;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view on line 9-9 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is an end elevation, showing wires from the oscillating motorunit as they emerge and pass through a "Micro switch which controls theoscillation of the knife;

Fig. 11 is a wiring diagram;

Fig. 12 is a detail view of the cam, and the connection thereof to theslide for reciprocating the same to advance the knife mounted thereoninto charge-cutting position.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the device is shown mounted in abox-shaped frame H) which is attached to the top of the table I2 of acigar machine. A platform I4 is slidably mounted in slideways l5 offrame In, and to the bottom of platform I4 is attached a lug [6 byscrews I1 threaded into the platform (Figs. 1 and 3). This lug I8 isconnected by a link IE to a bell-crank lever which is pivotally mountedon a stud 22 in the frame of the cigar machine. The lever 20 is actuatedby a cam-operated rod 24 which advances the platform M to the positionshown in Fig. 3.

Secured to the forward end of platform I4 is a vertical bearing block 26in which is shown mounted in Fig. '3 a yielding pivot of the typeillustrated in Fig. 5, although the modified form of pivot shown in Fig.6 may be used as will be hereinafter fully described. The bearing block26 provides a fulcrum for the knife support 28 on which the cuttingknife blade 30 is fastened. At the rear end of the knife support 28 isattached a sector 32 having radial slots providing a number of teethconstituting a series of electromagnets 33 arranged opposite a series ofelectromagnets 34 on a toothed sector 35 secured to the platform l4. Thecoils or windings of the electromagnets 33 may be wound about alternateteeth on sector 32 and connected to a source of D. C. current and thecoils or windings of electromagnets 34, which are wound about alternateteeth of sector 35, may be connected to a source of A. C. currentwhereby the repulsion and attraction of the magnets 33 from the ma nets34 will oscillate the knife blade as it is being advanced to cut thetobacco which has been lodged in the transfer pocket 36 (see Figs. 3 and4). Preferably, the electromagnets 33 will be connected as shown in Fig.11 to provide alternate north and south poles (indicated as N and Srespectively) at the ends of all the teeth of sector 32 adjacent theelectromagnets 34. The coils or windings of the latter are wound aboutalternate teeth of sector 35 to provide alternate north and south polesat the ends of all the teeth adjacent the electromagnets 33 andindicated in Fig. 11 as N and S respectively. Thus the alternate northpoles of the electromagnets 33 will be attracted to the alternate southpoles of electromagnets 34, and the alternate south poles ofelectromagnets 33 will be repulsed from the alternate south poles ofelectromagnets 34 and attracted to the north poles of the latter. Thusthe sector 32 will be displaced to the left, as viewed from the righthand end of Fig. 11. Then with the next reversal of the flow ofalternating current through the coils of the electromagnets 34 thealternate north and south poles of electromagnets 34 will become southand north poles respectively, as indicated with a phantom or dotted Sand N in Fig. 11, and the attraction and repulsion of these poles to thealternate north and south poles of electromagnets 33 will return thesector 32 to initial position. In this manner there will be producedoscillations of the knife to and fro. In Fig. 5 is illustrated asuitable type of construction of the pivotal center of the cuttingknife. The cutting knife 30, which is of a suitable thickness andprovided with a serrated cutting edge, is attached to the support 28 bya bolt H0 passing through a sleeve H2 arranged in the bearing block 26and by cap screws HI positioned laterally of the bolt H0. Another sleeveH4 fits into the bearing block 26 and is clamped therein by a bolt H6.The block 26 has a horizontal semi-circular slot H3 (Figs. 1, 3 and 5)and a vertical slot Hla (Fig. 2) extending upwardly from slot I 13 tothe upper edge of block 26 and thereby forming separate flanges H1 whichare clamped together by screw H6 to hold block 26 on the sleeve H4. Atthe base of the block 26 there are provided flanges 26a (Fig. 2) whichare secured by screws 26b to the platform [4 (Figs. 1 and 2). Betweensleeves H2 and I I4 is fitted, and cemented to the sleeves, a rubberbushing I I8, which permits of a certain amount of angular stretch asthe oscillating support 28 swings in one direction; and the tension thusstored in the bushing H8 will assist in starting the oscillation in theopposite direction.

The operation of the mechanism is as follows:

The transfer pocket 36 having been loaded from the cross-feed, in amanner as disclosed in my above mentioned Patent No. 2,311,011, thelever 20 is actuated to advance the knife 30 from its position as shownin Figs. 1 and 2 to the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

An extension 38 from lug l6 straddles a friction device consisting of ablock 40 which has a hole fitted on a rod 42. In another hole of block43, perpendicular to the rod 42, is mounted a plunger 44 which ispressed against the rod by a spring 46 backed up by a threaded plug 48.The latter may be turned to regulate the pressure of plunger 44 on rod42 and 'produce suflicient fric- .tion between the plunger and rod toimpart a sliding motion to rod 42 as the knife starts advancing. Theinitial movement of rod 42 causes an arm 50 to press-2. push button 52of a Micro" switch 54 which closes the circuit leading to theelectromagnets 33 and 34. Thus the electromagnets 34 will be energizedto attract and repulse the electromagnets 33 and the cutting knife 30will start to oscillate. As the platform continues advancing thefriction of the plunger 44 travelling along .therod 42 will continue tohold the Micro switch closed, the movement of the rod being limited by astop collar 56 which prevents undue pressure by arm 50 on pushbutton,52.

As the knife reaches its forward limit of movement a pin 58 on theunderside of the platform I4 contacts a lever 60 pivoted at 62. Thus thelower projection 64- of lever 60 bearing against a collar 66 on rod 42,will be sufficiently displaced to return the rod 42 to its originalposition and arm 50 will retreat from the push button 52, opening theMicro switch, de-energizing the motor, and thus stopping the oscillationof the knife blade during the return movement 7 A rod 68 slidablymounted in a bracket.10 attached to platform block I4, and provided atits front end with a block 12, advances and returns with the knife unitand pushes any tobacco dust, expelled by the knife 30, into'the inlets14 of suction ducts 14, arranged in a collecting channel at one side ofthe knife, whence they are carried away by the suction. Since the strokeof the platform I4 is greater than the distance between ducts 14, thenecessary lost motion of the rod 68 results when the block-l2 strikesthe end of the collecting channel at the left of the left duct 14 (Fig.4), the rod 68 then being held back while the bracket 10 slidesforwardly on rod 68 to the position shown in Fig. 4. Then, when thebracket 10 moves rearwardly, it carries rod 68 back until the block [2engages the right hand end of the collecting channel, the bracket 10then' sliding backwardly on the rod until the relative position of thebracket 10 and rod 68 shown in Fig. i is re established. Then when thebracket 10 moves forwardly again the same cycle of operations isrepeated. When the knife traverses the tobacco column fo-rseparation' ofa charge, the oscillating cutting edge of the knife separates particleswhich form dust from any tobacco leaves which may extend across the pathof cutting edge of the knife.

While the tobacco column T is in a raised Dositionin the charge transferpocket 36 and the knife 30 is proceeding to out the charge from the topof the tobacco column, fingers 92 are advanced with the oscillatingknife and enter slots 93 formed in the upper face of the compressorplatform 94 and advance underneath the tobacco column. The constructionof the platform and slots is similar to that shown in my above mentionedapplication, Serial No. 304,299. When the cutting operation is completedand the compressor platform is lowered, the portion of the tobaccocolumn remaining after cutting of the charge comes to rest on thefingers 92, thus permitting the compressorplatform' S4 to take onanother bunch length of tobacco which is delivered by an intermittentlyoperating cross-feed suchas disclosed inmy prior Patent 'No. 2,311,011above referred to. When the new bunch length has been delivered on. thecompressor platform, the cutting knife and with it the fingers 92, arewithdrawn, allowing the tobacco, which had rested .on the fingers,

to' settle on the new bunch length as the same is elevated on thecompressor platform.

It will be noted that the fingers 92 are initially disposed slightly inadvance of the cutting edge of the, knife 30. The fingers 92 are clampedto a holder as which is attached to two bars 98. These bars pass throughbearings in the bearing block 26. and are urged to their outermostposition by springs I00. The pins I02 on bars 90 engage the base of thebearing block 26 (Figs. 5 andfi) and limit the forward position of bars98, and rib I04 depending from holder 96 is checked by adjustablesetscrew I06 in bracket I08, the set screw constituting an abutment tohold back the fingers 92 while the knife continues advancing to thelimit of its forward movement. Accordingly when the slide I4 is movedback to retract the knife slightly to provide clearance for the upwardmovement of the bunch'length cutter C (Fig. 3), which is raised asdescribed in my co-1 pending application mentioned above, while thestream of filler tobacco is advanced on to the compressor platform 94which is then at its lowe position, the fingers will remain in theirforward position. Thus the fingers will support the sure plus tobaccountil the slide I4 has moved back sufficiently to disengage the holder96 from the set screw I06, the springs I00 urging the holder forwardlyagainst the set screw until the pins I02 on bars 98 re-engage the baseof the bearing block 26 during the rearward movement of the slide I4. Inthis manner the fingers and the knife are returned to initial positionfrom which they are again advanced to sever a charge from the top of thecolumn of tobacco compacted dur ing the ascent of the compressorplatform 94. During the ascent of the platform the cutter C; which hasbeen previously lowered to clamp the tobacco against the cutter Kfastened on the platform, coacts with cutter K to sever the bunch lengthof tobacco previously fed on to the platform.

It will be noted that the platform I4 has suit-. able slats Ma and I4!)as shown in Fig. 7, to provide a configuration thereof resembling ahairpin spring, whereby it may be compressed to an extent approximating.010 inch when it is inserted in the slide-ways I5 in frame I0, andproviding a spring mounting to keep vibration from being transmitted tothe platform I4 and the machine bed. Thus the wearing of the platformwill not affect its fit within the-slide-ways I5 until the wear exceedsthe extent to which the platform has been compressed.

In Fig. 6 is illustrated a preferred construction of pivot for knife 30,in which a torsion rod I20, of spring steel, is substituted for therubber bush-. ing II8, shown in Fig. 5. One end of rod I20 is secured inthe hub I22 of frame 28a which is provided with a cylindrical hub I23fitting the sleeve I24 which fits into the bearing block 26 and isclamped to it by bolt H6, and the other end ofrod I20 is secured tosleeve I 24. The oscillation of the frame 28a in one direction willproduce a torsion of the rod I20, which will assist in starting theoscillation in the opposite direction.

The wiring diagram of the circuit connected to the electromagnets isshown in Figs, '7 to .11 inclusive. In the case here illustrated it hasbeen assumed that only alternating current was avail-.

able and for this reason a rectifier has been in-,

cluded in this electrical circuit. Moreover by sup-v plying therectifier with current from a step down transformer as shown, there isless danger of electric shock from the connections of the circuit to theelectromagnets 33. When both'A. C. and D; C. currents are available theA. C. current can be connected to the electromagnets 34 and the D. C.current can be connected to the electromagnets 33, and the electricalequipment and construction would be simplified accordingly.

I The wiring diagram (see Fig. 11) shows the supply lines I26 and I28 onwhich A. C. current is impressed, connected in series to the electro--magnets 34. mat the terminals S of a source of A. C. current (Fig. 10)and the Micro" switch 54, which is The supply lines I26, I 28 areplugged connected to the line I26, is automatically closed when thebutton 52 is depressed as described above. The Micro switch 54 isconnected by lead I26a with a stationary contact maker I 29 on whichslides an electrically conductive bus bar I54 fastened to the bottom ofthe platform I4 (Fig. 8). A contact I 36 mounted in the platform [4 andconnected to the bar I34 (Fig. 10) is connected by lead I26b to one ofthe windings of the electromagnets 34 which are connected in series witheach other and by the lead I26c to the contact I30 which is mounted onplatform I4 and connected to the bus bar I32 fastened to the platform(Fig. 8). The bar I32 slides on a stationary contact maker I30 which isconnected to line I28.

A branch circuit I is connected from the line I28 and the lead I26a tothe primary of a stepdown transformer I42 whose secondary is connectedto a full wave rectifier or inverter I44.

The direct current delivered from the inverter is conducted by lead I46to the stationary contact maker I48 which engages the bus bar I52fastened to the platform I4 (Fig. 8). A contact I55 mounted on one endof bar I52 (Figs. 2, 7 and 9) is connected by a lead I46a to the windingof one of the electromagnets 33 which are connected to each other inseries and connected through lead Ib to a contact I58 fastened on oneend of the bus bar I54 (Figs. 2 and 7) which is fastened to the platformI4 (Fig. 8) and slidingly engages the stationary contact maker I whichis connected by lead I4'I to the inverter I44.

When the machine is started, the plate cam 200 (Fig. 12) on the camshaft 202 has a track 203 which operates a cam lever 204 having a camroller 205 engaging said track and fulcrumed on a shaft 206 supportedfrom the table I2, to operate the rod 24 connected through bell-cranklever 20 and link I8 to the lug I! of platform I4, and thereby advanceplatform I4 and automatically close Micro-switch 54, as beforedescribed. The circuits through the A. C. magnets 34 and through the D.C. magnets 33 are thus closed. Due to the constant polarity maintainedin the D. C. magnets 33 and th varying polarity of the A. C. magnets 34,an oscillating motion is imparted to the sector 32. This oscillation iscontinued during the advance f the knife 30 but will be discontinuedwhen the knife 30 reaches its forward limit the Micro switch 54 beingopened as described above. The knife 30 will thus be oscillating duringthe cutting operation thereof but will not continue to oscillate whileit is being retracted from the tobacco column. The platform is firstretracted slightly to move the knife into a position wherein it will notinterfere with the ascent of the bunch length cutter C, then dwells atthis position during the cutting of the charge from the top of thetobacco column. For this purpose the cam track 203 has a reentrantportion 208 producing this slight retracting movement of platform I4,and merging into the concentric portion 2I0 which produces the describeddwell of the platform. After leaving portion M0, the cam roller 205 isdisplaced inwardly until it reaches the full line position shown in Fig.12 which corresponds to the full line position of platform i4fragmentarily shown at its initial position. From this full lineposition the cam roller is displaced inwardly by the cam track toadvance the platform, as described above, in each cycle of the machine.

What is claimed'is:

1. In a cigar machine, having means for assembling sections of longfiller tobacco as laminations in a column, the combination with asupport movable toward and away from said column, a knife pivotallymounted on said support in position to traverse the column as saidsupport approaches the column, electromagnetic means for oscillatingsaid knife on its pivotal mounting on said support as the latterapproaches the column to sever a charge from the column, and a devicefor automatically interrupting the oscillation of the knife during theentire interval in which it is retracted from the column.

2. In a cigar machine having means for assembling sections of longfiller tobacco laminations in a column, the combination with a supportmovable toward said column, a knife pivotally mounted on said support inposition to traverse the column as the support approaches the column, anelectric motor mounted on said support and connected to said knife foroscillating the same on its pivotal mounting on said support, anelectric circuit connected to said motor,

H a switch adapted to close said circuit and thereby energize saidmotor, and a member on said support adapted to engage and actuate saidswitch to close said circuit as the support approaches the column.

' 3. In a cigar machine having a charge transfer provided with an openbottom, a platform on to which a continuous layer of long filler tobaccomay be fed, and a bunch length cutter adapted to sever a bunch lengthfrom the continuous layer of tobacco advanced on to the platform, saidplatform being provided with slots in its upper face and beingvertically reciprocable to elevate the severed bunch length into thecharge transfer through the open bottom thereof and compact the same;the combination with a support movable horizontally toward and away fromthe compacted bunch length, a knife mounted on said support and adaptedto separate the tobacco in the charge transfer from the remainder of thecompacted bunch length as the support approaches the latter, fingersmounted on said support and arranged to enter the slots in said platformto support during the descent of the platform the surplus tobaccoremaining after separation of the tobacco filling the charge transferfrom the remainder of the compacted bunch length, and means for movingsaid support toward the compacted bunch length to cause said knife totraverse the same and cause said fingers to enter the slots in theplatform, and retracting said knife slightly without retracting saidfingers.

4. In a cigar machine having means for assembling tobacco sections aslaminations in a column and an oscillating knife for separating a chargefrom the column, the combination with a suction conduit having an inletat one side of said knife, and a member for pushing tobacco dust ejectedfrom said column by said knife into said inlet.

5. In a cigar machine, the combination with a frame, of a platformslidably mounted in said frame, a charge-separating knife pivotallymounted on said platform, an electric motor on said platform foroscillating said knife, an electric circuit connected to said motor forenergizing the same, and including a stationary switch having apush-button whereby said circuit will be closed when the push-button isdepressed, a rod slidably mounted in the frame, a finger mounted on saidrod and arranged to engage and depress said push-button, a collarfastened to said rod,

and a bifurcated member on said platform straddling said collar andoperating to advance the rod with platform when the latter is movedforwardly on the frame, and thereby cause said finger to depress saidpush-button and energize said motor.

6. In a cigar machine having means for assembling sections of longfiller tobacco as laminations in a column, the combination with asupport movable toward said column, a knife pivotally mounted on saidsupport in position to traverse the column as said support approachesthe column, and electromagnetic means for oscillating said knife on itspivotal mounting on said support, said means including a set ofstationary electromagnets mounted on said support, and a set ofelectromagnets connected to said knife in a position opposite thestationary electromagnets, a circuit for impressing direct current onone set of magnets, and a circuit for impressing alternating current onthe other set of electromagnets, whereby the changin polarity of thealternating current electromagnets will attract and repulse the directcurrent electromagnets to cause oscillation of the knife on its pivotalmounting, and a yielding member mounted on said support and connected tosaid knife and adapted to be stressed by oscillatory movement of theknife in either direction for assisting the return movement of the knifein the opposite direction.

7. In a cigar machine having means for assembling sections of longfiller tobacco as laminations in a column, the combination with asupport movable toward said column, a knife pivotally mounted on saidsupport in position to traverse the column as said support approachesthe column, and electromagnetic means for oscillating said knife on itspivotal mounting on said support to sever a charge from the column, saidmeans including a set of stationary electromagnets mounted on saidsupport, a set of electromagnets connected to said knife in a positionopposite the stationary electromagnets, a circuit for impressing directcurrent on one set of magnets, and a circuit for impressing alternatingcurrent on the other set of electromagnets, whereby the changingpolarity of the alternating current electromagnets will attract andrepulse the direct current electromagnets to cause oscillation of theknife on its pivotal mounting, said support having a bearing supportthereon, a sleeve secured in said bearing, a rubber bushing secured tothe interior of said sleeve, and said knife having a pivot disposedwithin said bushing and secured thereto whereby said bushing will bestressed as the pivot turns in one direction and will assist the returnmovement of the pivot in the opposite direction.

8. In a cigar machine having means for assembling sections of longfiller tobacco as laminations in a column, the combination with asupport movable toward said column, a knife pivotally mounted on saidsupport in position to traverse the column as said support approachesthe column, and electromagnetic mean for oscillating said knife on itspivotal mounting on said support to sever a charge from the column, saidmeans including a set of stationary electroma nets mounted on saidsupport, a set of electromagnets connected to said knife in a positionopposite the stationary electromagnets, a circuit for impressing directcurrent on one set of magnets, and a circuit for impressing alternatingcurrent on the other set of electromagnets whereby the changing polarityof the alternating current electromagnets will attract and repulse thedirect current electromagnets to cause oscillation of the knife on itspivotal mounting, said support having a bearing support thereon, asleeve secured within said bearing support, and said knife having apivot loosely mounted within said sleeve, a resilient member having oneend fastened in said sleeve and the other end fastened to said pivotwhereby said member will be stressed as the pivot turns in one directionand will assist the return movement of the pivot in the oppositedirection.

9. In a cigar machine having means for assembling sections of longfiller tobacco as laminations in a column, the combination with asupport movable toward and away from said column, a knife movablymounted on said support in position to traverse the column as saidsupport approachesthe column, an electric motor mounted on said supportand movabl therewith and connected to said knife for moving the latterto and fro as the support approaches the column to sever a charge fromthe column, and a device for automatically interrupting the operation ofsaid motor and thereby terminating the motion of said knife as it isretracted from said column.

HENRY H. WHEELER.

